Tim had seen neither before, so this is a bumper year for him. Not only are we experiencing the Jacarandas in Pretoria at the moment, but we’re going down to the Cape later in the week to hopefully see the whales!

The colours vary, depending on the time of day and lighting. And South African students believe that if a jacaranda flower falls on your head, it is a sign of good luck for your exams! But also, as soon as the jacarandas come out, it is a reminder to all students that exam time is imminent!

But to people planning to visit South Africa, if you’re flying into Johannesburg around late October/early November. Do yourself a favour and spend the first night in the Jacaranda City (‘Jakarandastad’ in Afrikaans), Pretoria. Come and experience the natural street decoration.